Cleaning container with magnetic removal



Aug. 19, 1958 .1. G. SIMPSON 2,848,006

CLEANING CONTAINER WI'IIH MAGNETIC asuovm.

Filed April 2. 1954 6 48 /4Q s j 40 42 Q INVENTOR. j JOHN w; SIMPSONFIG. 5 y 1 //"//////r/ QM a AILORNEY United States Patent CLEANINGCONTAINER WITH MAGNETIC REMOVAL John G. Simpson, Atlanta, Ga.Application April 2, 1954, Serial No. 420,597

8 Claims. (Cl. 134-133) This invention relates to a cleaning containerwith magnetic removal and particularly to a container of a sort which isused for treating metal objects by soaking in a compound and having anarrangement for magnetically removing the metal objects.

In cleaning dirty deposits from metal objects, such as ink from draftingpens or deposits from machinery parts, it is often necessary that themetal object be soaked or agitated in a bath of some special chemicalfluid. Where there are a number of small parts in the same container offluid, it is difficult to remove them without pouring out the entirecontents. This is a messy sort of opera tion and usually results in aloss of most of the fluid as well as the expenditure of a great deal oftime. In view of this there is obviously a need for a container which,after cleaning, provides a simple separation of the metal objects fromthe fluid so that the objects may be readily removed with the hand.

It is an object of this invention to provide a cleaning container with ameans for separating metal objects from a treating compound. a

A further object of this invention is to provide a cleaning containerwith a magnet positioned inside thereof in such a manner as to attractmetal objects from a fluid bath on certain positioning of the container.

Generally described, the present invention comprises a container havingan opening formed therein, a closure member movably positioned on. saidopening forming a fluid tight seal, and a magnet positioned within saidcontainer so that tilting the container moves the metal objects in thecleaning compound from a position out of the field of attraction intoattachment with the magnet whereby upon returning said container tonormal position the compound drains from the objects and the objects maybe removed through the opening.

Other and further objects and advantages of my invention will beapparent from the ensuing description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of a preferred container in normalupright position.

Fig. 2 is a view in central vertical section of the container in Fig. 1with the closure lid removed.

Fig. 3 is a view in central vertical section of the first modificationof the container in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the closure lid of the device in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section of another modified form of theinvention of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the device in Fig. 5.

Beginning with the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2, a container,designated generally by 10, comprises a body portion 12 which is in theform of a cylindrical jar, shown here as made from glass with the bottomformed integrally with the sides but which may be made from othermaterials and in separate parts, with an open top neck 14 havingentrance 15 and being formed with wide threads 16 thereon. The threadedneck 14 receives a closure lid or cap 18 with threads 20 complementaryto those 16 on the neck 14 so that the cap 18 may be tightened into theupper rim of the neck 14 making a fluid tight closure. As is readilyseen in Fig. 2, the rim of neck 14 supports a magnetic ring 22 ofinverted L-shaped cross section positioned on the rim somewhat in themanner of a gasket or rubber washer. Ring 22 is made of suitablematerial Patented Aug. 19, 1958 to be permanently magnetized prior toinstallation providing a substantially strong magnetic field immediatelyadjacent the surface thereof but with substantially no attraction as faraway as the center of jar body 12. If desired, the ring 22 may be gluedor otherwise secured tothe inner periphery of the neck 14 but it is notnecessary since the cap 18 through the co-action of threads 16, 20tightens the ring 22 on the rim of neck 14 forming a fluid tightcontainer with the magnetic surface 22 confined therein.

In the operation of my novel container, the cleaning operation takesplace with the container in normal upright position so that a chemicalcleaning fluid 24 contained in the bottom of the jar 12 receives anumber of small metallic objects, such as the pen points 26. Thecontainer 10 may be placed on a flat surface in upright position (withthe top 18 up) or rotated slightly to agitate pen points 26 in the fluid24 thereby transferring the deposits on the pen points 26 to the fluid24. When it is desired to remove the points 26, the container 10 iscompletely inverted so that the fluid 24 and points 26 collect at theinside of neck 14 which places the pen points 26 in contact with orwithin the pull of the magnetic ring 22. Upon returning the container 10to its normal position, the fluid 24 will return to its normal positionin the bottom of the container 10 but the points 26 will remain at thetop attached to the ring 22. Since the fluid is normally below theopening 22, the lid 20 is removed and points 26 taken out by hand fromthe position shown in Fig. 2. Substantially all the fluid 24 has drippedinto the bottom and the points 26 are clean and almost dry.

In the modified form of Figs. 3 and 4, the jar body 12 remains exactlythe same and the lid has been replaced by a lid of differentconstruction designated at 30 with screw threads 32. Lid 30 has attachedby screws 34 to the underside thereof a flat, permanent magnet 36providing a magnetic surface and field of attraction in the vicinity ofthe inside, upper portion of jar 12. The operation of this container isthe same as in the previous embodiment except that once the metalobjects 26 become attached to the magnet 36, as in the manner shown inFig. 4, they are removed with the lid 30.

The modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 comprises a jar 40 formed fromglass, or a like substance, with an integral, vertical support column 42substantially in the inside of the center thereof which column 42supports on the upper terminal end thereof a flat, permanent magnet 46glued at 48 or otherwise permanently held in position. The open top jar40 may be provided with an ordinary screw type closure lid such as 18 inFig. 1. Inversion of jar 40 with a liquid confined therein havingimmersed metal objects will, as in the prior embodiments, cause saidobjects 26 to become attached to the magnet 46 so that upon reversion ofthe jar 40 the liquid has drained cit and the objects may be readilyremoved.

With the foregoing arrangements, the loss of fluid in removing thecleaned objects is slight and the entire removal operation is fast andneat. Furthermore, where strong chemicals are being used there is lesspossibility of getting the solution on the person or clothing. Also, noseparate containers or any other apparatus is needed other than thatforming a part of each container of this invention.

It is at once obvious that many types of containers may be used in placeof the jar herein illustrated and that a number of different closuredevices (lids, caps, etc.) may replace the screw. Therefore, it isemphasized that many substitutions, eliminations, variations, andmodifications may be made in the forms shown and described withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention reference being had to thefollowing claims for such considerations.

I claim:

1. In a container of the class described, a body portion having a closedbottom and having an opening therein for the insertion and removal ofmetal objects, said opening being positioned above the level of a fluidcontained in said body in at least one position of said container, aclosure member selectively movable on said body portion to close saidopening forming a fluid tight container, and magnetic means normallywithin said container when said closure is in place for holding saidmetal objects adjacent said opening while said fluid drains therefromback into said container, said objects being attracted to said magneticmeans upon inversion of said container, and said magnetic means beingabove the level of said fluid in at least one object removal position ofsaid container to permit opening of said closure and removal of saidobjects through said opening whereby said objects may be readily removedfrom said fluid after cleaning without removing or spilling the fluidfrom the container.

2. In a container of the class described, a body having a closed bottomand having an opening therein for the insertion and removal of metalarticles, said opening being positioned above the level of a fluidcontained in said body in at least one position of said container, aclosure member selectively movable on said body portion to close saidopening forming a fluid tight container, and magnetic means within saidcontainer when said container is closed and normally not affectingarticles therein, said magnetic means being selectively operable toattract said metal articles upon inversion of said container and holdsame free above the level of said fluid upon repositioning of saidcontainer, and when said closure is removed to expose said objects onsaid magnetic means for open access to and removal from said magneticmeans while said closure opening is open, said open closure havingexposed said objects held on said magnetic means for removal of samefrom said magnetic means so that they may be removed from the containerwithout removing or spilling the fluid.

3. In a cleaning container of the class described, a container bodyhaving an opening therein through which articles are inserted forcleaning, said opening being above the level of a fluid in said body inat least one position of the container, a movable closure member forminga fluid tight seal about said opening for confining a liquid in saidcontainer when said closure is in sealing position and normally out ofcontact with the liquid, and magnetic means normally in said containernormally out of effective range of said fluid in one cleaning positionbut being brought into contact with said fluid upon tilting said closedcontainer to attract and hold the metal objects thereto, and saidobjects being exposed when said container is restored to normal closureopening position, said objects being removable from said magnetic meansto which they cling while said closure opening is open, said openclosure opening having exposed said objects for removal from saidmagnetic means, whereby the objects may be readily removed through saidclosure Without pouring or spilling the fluid therefrom.

4. In a cleaning container of the class described, a container bodyhaving an opening therein through which articles are inserted forcleaning, said opening being above the level of a fluid in said body inat least one position of the container, a movable closure member forminga fluid tight seal about said opening for confining a liquid in saidcontainer, a permanent magnet positioned in said container when saidclosure is in sealing position and normally out of effective range ofsaid fluid when said container is in normal upright position but beingbrought into contact with said fluid upon tilting of said closedcontainer so that metal objects in said fluid cling to said magnet, saidobjects remaining attached to said magnet upon returning said containerto normal 4 position with said fluid draining from the objects, wherebythe objects cleaned in said fluid may be readily removed therefromthrough the separation of fluid and objects at said magnet.

5. In a cleaning container of the class described, a container bodyhaving an opening therein through which articles are inserted forcleaning, a portion of said container body spaced from said openingbeing defined as a fluid containment area with cleaning fluid at itsnormal gravity level having metal objects immersed therein, a movableclosure member forming a fluid tight container by sealing said opening,and a permanent magnet positioned within said container when closed andwith the magnetic field thereof effective within said container in atleast one inverted position thereof to attract and hold metal objectsadjacent the inner area of said opening when said closure is inposition, said magnet being ineffective to attract metal objectsimmersed in said fluid when said container is in normal upright positionbut effective to hold said objects brought into the field thereof byinversion of said container from normal position, said magnet beingabove the level of said fluid in at least one object removal positionwhere the objects attach themselves removably to the magnet, and saidobjects being exposed for removal through said opening when thecontainer is restored to normal position and the closure is removed,whereby said metal objects may be removed by tilting said container tobring said fluid out of its normal gravity level confinement intoeffective range of said magnetic field to be held for removal after saidcontainer has been restored to normal position and said fluid hasreturned to its normal position away from the closure.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein said magnet is secured to said closuremember.

7. The device of claim 5 wherein said magnet is in the form of an openmember positioned about the periphery of said opening in the container.

8. In a cleaning container of the class described, a container bodyhaving a closed bottom and having an opening formed therein throughwhich articles are inserted for cleaning, a portion of said body aroundsaid bottom being defined as a fluid containment area with cleaningfluid having immersed metal objects therein, movable closure memberforming a fluid tight container by sealing said opening for selectiveremoval therefrom, a support member fixed on said body and protrudinginto the inside thereof, and a permanent magnet supported by saidsupport member with the field of magnetic attraction effective adjacentsaid closure member but ineffective at the location of the metal objectsin their normal position in the fluid, said container being shiftable toseveral positions in which the fluid leaves its normal position to bringthe metal objects within the magnetic attraction of said magnetwhereupon with the objects attached to said magnet he container isshiftable back to normal position, said magnet being above the fluidlevel in at least one object removal position, and said objects on saidmagnet being exposed and accessible through said opening when saidclosure is removed, the result of all of which is the separation of themetal objects from the fluid Without removing or spilling the fluid fromthe container and the holding of the metal objects in the vicinity ofthe opening so that they are readily removed from the container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,141,412 Pool June 1, 1915 1,806,239 Dietzel May 19, 1931 2,455,506Leslie Dec. 7, 1948 2,568,838 Wilcox Sept. 25, 1951 2,664,854 TalbotJan. 5, 1954

